Sunday, May 3rd

11:00 AM – WORSHIP

FELLOWSHIP TIME: after the service

Sunday, May 3rd – During the 11 AM worship, Pastor Teresa will preach from Acts 8 bringing a sermon titled, “Get up…Go…Get in…Sit beside.” After the worship service will be a robust fellowship time. All are welcome!

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Upcoming Preaching Ministry and Community Events

May 3rd       Pastor Teresa preaching, Communion will be served.

May 10th     MULTIGENERATIONAL and ADULT Sunday School, Rev. Dr. Naoya Kawakami, General Secretary of Tohoku HELP preaching.

May 17th     Jon McCurley, Community Life Director of ARI (Asian Rural Institute) preaching, Communion will be served.

May 24th     PENTECOST, MULTIGENERATIONAL and ADULT Sunday School, Rev. Dr. Jim Sack, Professor at the Lutheran College and Seminary preaching.

May 31st       HS Youth Sunday with testimonies and songs, and celebrating the graduation of Brandon, Elsa, Max and Niki.

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CONGREGATIONAL MEETING, May 10th after the worship – Karen Seevers, our congregational chair will facilitate this short meeting. Important issue will be approving the 2015-16 budget. See you there = )

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CHRISTIAN EDUCATION CORNER (we value your prayers & involvement in this vital ministry)  Any questions, please contact Pastor Teresa at wtucrev@gmail.com, or Julie Rogers for HS; Amy Harbaugh and Steve Bennett for Upper ES and Lower MS, grades 4-7; and Carrie Bennett for Lower ES, grades K-3.

Little Kids: All are welcome to go with Allie and have fun learning about the A Miracle at the Beautiful Gate.

ES – Tentative swim & devotions dates – May 13th (PACT) 5:00pm, June 3rd 5:00 pm.

MS/HS – Planning meeting for Youth Sunday – Sunday, May 24th at 10:00 am; Sunday May 31st HS Youth Sunday with testimonies, puppets and songs.

MULTIGENERATIONAL and ADULT Sunday School – Sunday, May 10th.

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MULTIGENERATIONAL SUNDAY SCHOOL!! ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL!! We have Multigenerational Sunday School from 9:30 in the cafeteria the second and fourth Sundays of the month. Who is welcome? All ages. We will be creating, discussing, Multi-generational-worshipplaying games, acting out bible stories and more. At the same time, the Sacks host the Adult Sunday School, also at 9:30 am in their living room. The method used is the, “Swedish Bible study method,” interacting with the texts for the service through our own life experiences. Their home is right across the Lutheran Campus from our sanctuary. Best coffee in town = ) Come and enjoy! (At times Adult Sunday School is held in the Upper Room, on the 2nd floor above the Sanctuary.) All are welcome. Need more information, contact wtucrev@gmail.com any time = ) Sunday School schedule: 5/10, 5/24, 6/14 and 6/28.

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WTUC Announcements:

*Questions or concerns? Feel free to email wtucrev@gmail.com anytime.

*Please enjoy and refer our website https://wtuc.net/ and FB page (West Tokyo Union Church) to others. Please make any suggestions for additions to the Pastor Teresa and/or Steering Committee. If you’d like to be added to the WTUC church email list, please contact Gene Witt ewitt@asij.ac.jp

*If interested in joining the WTUC Prayer Chain, let Pastor Teresa or Prayer Chain Coordinator, Kayo Ozawa, know of your interest. Please submit prayers to wtucrev@gmail.com or Kayo Ozawa.

*Sign up for snacks for fellowship time with Ann or Jill. We appreciate your contributions to our community life!

*Interested in baptism or membership, please contact Pastor Teresa.

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Passage for the sermon –

Acts 8:26-40 – 26 Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a wilderness road.) 27 So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to this chariot and join it.” 30 So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 He replied, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. 32 Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth. 33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.” 34 The eunuch asked Philip, “About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. 36 As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?” 37 [[a/NASB] And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”] 38 He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.